The present invention relates to tissue evaluation and treatment. Physical therapists are trained to evaluate and treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions including muscle strain, joint sprain as well as insidious onset of spine and extremity pain. Tissue evaluation involves techniques including assessment of joint range of motion (ROM), extremity flexibility, and strength testing. Patients rely on a these specialists to provide an extremity flexibility evaluation with a goniometer reported in degrees. Measurement of extremity flexibility is referred to as “evaluation”. Extremity treatment provided by specialists often includes includes passive stretching, massage and strengthening exercises. Home-based treatments including passive stretching are prescribed by medical professionals to reduce patients' long term pain. Passive stretching by medical professionals is a common treatment which increases extremity flexibility to relieve lower back pain, patellofemoral syndrome (knee pain), nerve entrapment (sciatica), plantar fasciitis, achilles tendon tightness, and various tendonopathies. Treatment regimens include a stretch intensity, duration, and frequency of each exercise. Patients perform prescribed treatments at home by using a towel, belt, or a strap such as the “stretch-out-strap” by OPTP products. Stretching to increase extremity tissue length and flexibility is referred to as “treatment”.
At home, many patients do not have a way to evaluate their flexibility and often fail to comply with the prescribed treatment regimen. Over time tissue stiffness increases and reduces muscle-sinew tissue compliance, noted as the degree to which the muscle-sinew tissue complies to treatment. This decrease in muscle-sinew tissue compliance often leaves patients wondering what their flexibility is and what treatment regimen to follow to achieve acceptable flexibility. The solution to evaluating their flexibility and determining the new treatment regimen is to return to the clinic, have a physical therapist evaluate their tissue flexibility using a goniometer and prescribe a flexibility treatment regimen. This can be a costly, time consuming, and often painful approach to maintaining optimal flexibility.